DNA study shows link between ancient baby and Native people

Friday, February 14, 2014  

A baby boy who was buried in Montana about 12,600 years ago was related to present-day Native people, according to the results of a study published in the journal Nature.

The boy was found with 125 artifacts. His remains and the items were covered with red ochre, a sign of a burial ceremony conducted by his community.

A DNA study confirmed that the boy shares ancestry with present-day Native people, the researchers said. He is more closely linked with indigenous populations in Central and South America for reasons that haven't been determined.

The boy was found on private land in Montana. Now that study is complete, he will will be reburied.

“I wanted to honor the spirit of the boy. There was a disturbance there. I felt like there needed to be some healing,” Shane Doyle, a professor and member of the Crow Tribe who was involved in the study, said in a Montana State University press release.

Get the Story:
Ancient baby DNA suggests tie to Native Americans (AP 2/13)
Ancient Infant’s DNA Provides Key to Native American Ancestry (History.com 2/13)
DNA traces Native Americans’ ancestry to Siberia (PBS 2/13)
Ancient toddler whose DNA helped science will now be reburied (The Los Angeles Times 2/13)
New theories shine light on origins of Native Americans (USA Today 2/13)
America’s only Clovis skeleton had its genome mapped (Heritage Daily 2/13)
Native Americans Descend From Ancient Montana Boy (Science 2/12)
Ancient genome stirs ethics debate (Nature 2/12)